Possible listeria contamination leads Kroger Co. to recall products in 28 states

The Kroger Co. is recalling three products sold in 28 states due to a possible listeria contamination, the company announced in a recall notice Wednesday.

The recall affects Kroger brand sunflower products and was prompted by an unidentified supplier, who told the company the sunflower kernels may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to a notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The organism can cause severe illness if ingested, although the FDA said no customer illnesses were reported.

The products were sold in stores operating under the names Kroger, Jay-C, Dillons, Bakers, Gerbes, King Soopers, City Market, Fry's, Ralphs, Food 4 Less and Smith's. They were sold in 28 states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas.

The recall includes:

• 3.5 oz packages of Kroger Sunflower Salad Toppers with UPC No. 0001111002127 and sell by dates of Dec. 3 and 4, 2016
• 6 oz packages of Kroger Sunflower Kernels with UPC No. 0001111061877 and sell by dates of Dec. 11, 13 and 14, 2016
• 14 oz packages of Kroger Cranberry Delight Trail Mix with UPC No. 0001111089869 and sell by dates of March 9, 10, 11, 2017 and April 11, 2017

The products have since been pulled from store shelves, according to The Kroger Co.